US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims

Judges

Active Judges

Chief Judge Robert N. Davis

Chief Judge Robert N. Davis was
appointed by the President of the United States as a Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims on December 4, 2004.
He became Chief Judge on October 9, 2016.

Prior to his judicial appointment, Chief Judge Davis was a full tenured professor of law at Stetson University College of Law, Gulfport,
Florida. He joined the Stetson law faculty in August 2001 after teaching for 13 years at the University of Mississippi School of Law,
where he was a tenured full professor. He has also held teaching positions at the University of South Florida, Georgetown University Law
Center, the University of Memphis, and Washington and Lee University. He has taught in summer programs at the University of Hawaii; Downing
College, England; and Concordia International University, Estonia; and has lectured at Makerere University School of Law in Uganda and at the
University of Papua New Guinea.

Chief Judge Davis has taught constitutional law, administrative law, national and international security law, alternative dispute resolution,
counter-terrorism, and international and domestic sports law. He is the founder of the Journal of National Security Law and has held positions
of leadership with the American Bar Associations' Standing Committee on Law and National Security, the Federalist Society, and the American
Association of Law Schools. He has written numerous articles on a variety of subjects, including a recent article published by the Texas Tech
Law Review entitled: "Veterans Fighting Wars at Home and Abroad." He has been a frequent commentator on television, radio, and newspapers
regarding national security, terrorism, constitutional law, and elections issues. While teaching in Mississippi, he was appointed by the
Governor as a Mississippi Commissioner to the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws.

Chief Judge Davis has extensive experience as an arbitrator and mediator with the American Arbitration Association. He was a mediator with the
United States Postal Service and was an arbitration panel member with the United States Olympic Committee.

Chief Judge Davis presides over the veterans court as a decorated Navy veteran. During his Navy career as an intelligence officer, Commander
Davis took a variety of active duty assignments around the world, including assignments to Headquarters European Command 1991, Stuttgart,
Germany; Mediterranean Deployment Aboard the USS America 1993; Joint Analysis Center 1994, Molesworth, United Kingdom, DOD Foreign Officer
Exchange Program 2000, Papua, New Guinea; Joint Fleet Exercise USS Coronado 2001, San Diego, CA; National Security Agency in 1997, 1998 and
2000; a presidential recall in 1999 to Bosnia; recall to active duty after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, to the Joint Intelligence
Directorate at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa, Florida; and Joint Staff Response Cell in support of OEF and OIF, Pentagon, 2005-2007.

Chief Judge Davis graduated from the University of Hartford, West Hartford, Connecticut, in 1975 and the Georgetown University Law Center,
Washington, D.C., in 1978. He practiced as an appellate attorney for 5 years with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Washington, D.C.
Chief Judge Davis subsequently spent 4 years with the United States Department of Education, Washington, D.C., in the business and administrative
law division. Chief Judge Davis also briefly served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Columbia as part of a Federal
agency exchange program.

Judge Mary J. Schoelen

Judge Mary J. Schoelen was nominated by the President of the United States and subsequently appointed a Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims in December 2004.

Prior to her appointment, Judge Schoelen served as Minority General Counsel and Deputy Staff Director for Benefits Programs for the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the United States Senate.

Judge Schoelen earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California at Irvine and received a Juris Doctor from the George Washington University Law School. During law school, she worked as a law clerk for the National Veterans Legal Services Project, representing appellants at the Board of Veterans' Appeals. In 1994, she interned with the United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, working on various issues pertaining to adjudication of veterans benefits claims. In November 1994, she began working as a staff attorney for Vietnam Veterans of America's Veterans Benefits Program.

Judge Schoelen rejoined the United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs staff in March 1997, where she was responsible for development and implementation of policy pertaining to veterans benefits, as well as oversight of the implementation of such policy. She served as Minority Counsel from March 1997 to March 2001, as Minority General Counsel from March 2001 to June 2001, as Deputy Staff Director for Benefits Programs and General Counsel from June 2001 to December 2004, under Chairman and Ranking Member John D. Rockefeller IV and Ranking Member Bob Graham.

Judge Coral W. Pietsch

Judge Coral Wong Pietsch was nominated by President Barack Obama and subsequently appointed a Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims in June 2012.

Judge Pietsch has a distinguished career in public service, both in the military and as a civilian. She was commissioned in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps and served six years on active duty. Judge Pietsch continued her service in the U.S. Army Reserve and rose to the rank of Brigadier General. She became the first woman to be promoted in the rank of Brigadier General in the US Army Judge Advocate General's Corps and the first woman of Asian ancestry to be promoted to Brigadier General in the Army. In her military career, Judge Pietsch participated in numerous exercises and deployments throughout the Asia Pacific Region.

Until her appointment to the bench, Judge Pietsch held the position of Senior Attorney and Special Assistant at Headquarters, U.S. Army Pacific located in Honolulu, Hawaii. In this position, she provided and managed legal services in support of the U.S. Army Pacific's mission to train Army Forces for military operations and peacetime engagements aimed at promoting regional stability. Her responsibilities included providing advice and counsel in a myriad of areas of law, to include environmental law, fiscal law, personnel law, international law, and administrative law.

As part of the 2007 "surge" in Iraq, Judge Pietsch volunteered as a Department of Defense civilian to deploy to Iraq for a year where she was seconded to the U.S. Department of State to serve as the Deputy Rule of Law Coordinator for the Baghdad Provincial Reconstruction Team. During her deployment to Iraq, Judge Pietsch assisted with numerous civil society projects involving a variety of Rule of Law partners, including the Iraqi Jurist Union, Iraqi Bar Association, law schools, and international rights, women's rights and human rights organizations. She evaluated and sought funding for numerous projects aimed at building capacity within the Iraqi legal community to include the establishment, in close collaboration with the Iraqi Bar Association, of a Legal Aid Clinic at one of the Iraq's largest detention facilities. During her time in Iraq, she also established meaningful relationships with numerous Government of Iraq ministries, nongovernmental organizations, and Coalition partners to help reinvigorate the rule of law in Iraq.

In 2006 Judge Pietsch was appointed by the Governor of Hawaii to the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission where she served for seven years. Shortly after the appointment, the Governor selected Judge Pietsch as its Chair and, during her tenure, the Commission improved the claims administrative process, eliminated backlogs, implemented a public education program, and initiated an awareness program within the public schools.

Earlier in her civilian legal career, Judge Pietsch had been appointed a Deputy Attorney General for the State of Hawaii advising the State Department of Health, State Department of Agriculture, and the State Criminal History Records Division.

Judge Pietsch's academic degrees include a bachelor of arts, master of arts, and a juris doctor degree. She was also a Senior Executive Fellow at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, is a graduate of the Defense Leadership and Management Program, and a graduate of the Army War College. Her awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service, the Meritorious Civilian Service Medal, Superior Civilian Performance Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Medal. She has been the recipient of the Organization of Chinese Americans Pioneer Award, the Hawaii Women Lawyers Attorney of the Year Award, the Honolulu YWCA Achievement in Leadership Award, The Catholic University Alumni Achievement Award, the Federal Executive Board Award for Excellence, the U.S. Army Pacific Community Service Award and recognized for lifetime accomplishments by the Women Veterans Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship.

Judge Pietsch is married to James H. Pietsch, who is a Professor of Law at the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law and who is also a veteran.

Judge Margaret Bartley

Judge Margaret Bartley was nominated by President Barack Obama and subsequently appointed a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (USCAVC) in June 2012.

For over 17 years prior to her appointment, Judge Bartley served as a veterans advocate, working as staff attorney and then senior staff attorney for National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP), a veterans service organization. In that capacity, she advised and trained staff and service officers for The American Legion, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Vietnam Veterans of America, and other veterans service organizations and State departments of veterans affairs, on issues related to veterans benefits and veterans preference in Federal employment. She also represented veterans and survivors of veterans in their pursuit of VA benefits before the USCAVC and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. From 2004 to 2012, Judge Bartley served as editor of the NVLSP veterans' law quarterly, The Veterans Advocate. She also testified before Congress concerning federal agency failure to apply veterans preference laws and appeared on behalf of amici curiae in several significant veterans preference cases.

From 2005 until her appointment to the bench, Judge Bartley also served as Director of Outreach and Education for the Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program. In that capacity, she organized nationwide training classes for lawyers interested in providing pro bono representation to veterans and their survivors before the USCAVC. Prior to her career as a veterans advocate, Judge Bartley served as a judicial law clerk to the late Judge Jonathan R. Steinberg of the USCAVC. Judge Bartley earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from Pennsylvania State University in 1981 and a juris doctor degree, cum laude, from the American University Washington College of Law in 1993.

Judge William S. Greenberg

Judge William S. Greenberg was nominated to the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims by President Barack Obama on November 15, 2012, confirmed by the United States Senate on December 21, 2012, appointed by the President on December 27, 2012, and took the judicial oath on December 28, 2012, for a term of fifteen years.

Judge Greenberg was a partner of McCarter & English, LLP. He initially joined the firm as an associate following a judicial clerkship in 1968, then returned as a partner in 1993. The majority of his career has involved litigation in federal and state courts.

Judge Greenberg had been a Certified Civil Trial Attorney by the Supreme Court of New Jersey since 1983. He served as Chairman of the Judicial and Prosecutorial Appointments Committee of the New Jersey State Bar Association, which considers all candidates to be a judge or prosecutor submitted by the Governor of New Jersey. He was President of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, New Jersey, (The New Jersey Association for Justice) and has served as Trustee of the New Jersey State Bar Association and of the New Jersey State Bar Foundation. He also served as a member of the New Jersey Supreme Court Committee on the Admission of Foreign Attorneys. He established and chaired the New Jersey State Bar Association (public service/pro bono) program of military legal assistance for members of the Reserve Components called to active duty after September 11, 2001. He was a member of the New Jersey Supreme Court Civil Practice Committee. With the approval of the Secretary of Defense, on the recommendation of The White House, Judge Greenberg became Chairman of the Reserve Forces Policy Board in 2009, a Board established by the Secretary of Defense in 1951 and by Act of Congress in 1952. On July 26, 2011, Judge Greenberg was awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service, the second highest civilian award in the Defense Department, at a public ceremony in the Pentagon, and completed his term in August 2011.

In 2006 his Civil Trial Handbook, Volume 47 of the New Jersey Practice Series, was published by Thomson/West. A special Twentieth Anniversary issue was published in 2009, to commemorate the 1989 publication of its predecessor, Trial Handbook for New Jersey Lawyers.

A retired Brigadier General, he served as a member of the New Jersey World War II Memorial Commission. In June 2009 he received the highest honor granted by the New Jersey State Bar Foundation, its medal of honor for his work in establishing the military legal assistance program, and especially in his public service representation of soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center during their Physician Disability Hearings. His article in the June 2007 issue of New Jersey Lawyer Magazine describes the program in detail. He has served as special litigation counsel to The Adjutants General Association of the United States and was special litigation counsel pro bono to the National Guard Association of the United States.

Judge Greenberg was a Commissioner of the New Jersey State Commission of Investigation. He also served as Assistant Counsel to the Governor of New Jersey and as Commissioner of the New Jersey State Scholarship Commission.

Professor Greenberg served as the first Adjunct Professor of Military Law at the Seton Hall University School of Law.

He was chosen the New Jersey Lawyer Of The Year for 2009 by The New Jersey Law Journal. He received The Distinguished Alumnus Award from The Johns Hopkins University in 2010, and the Rutgers Law School Public Service Award in 2010 for his work in developing and leading the efforts to represent wounded and injured soldiers at Walter Reed.

Judge Greenberg is admitted in New Jersey, New York and the District of Columbia. He is a member of the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States, and of the Third, Fourth and Federal Circuits, the Southern District of New York, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.

Judge Greenberg is a graduate of The Johns Hopkins University (AB, 1964) and Rutgers University Law School (JD, 1967). He is married to the former Betty Kaufmann Wolf of Pittsburgh. They have three children, Katherine of New York, Anthony of Baltimore, and Elizabeth of New York.

Judge Michael P. Allen

Judge Michael Allen was nominated by the President of the United States in June 2017. He was
confirmed by the United States Senate, and appointed a Judge of the United States Court of
Appeals for Veterans Claims in August 2017. United States District Judge Elizabeth
Kovachevich of the Middle District of Florida administered the judicial oath to Judge Allen on
August 11, 2017.

For 16 years before his judicial appointment, Judge Allen was a tenured full professor of law at
Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Florida. He was also the director of Stetson's
Veterans Law Institute, and he spent four years as the College of Law's associate dean. Judge Allen
also served as a visiting professor of law at the University of Illinois College of Law. Before
entering teaching, Judge Allen practiced law for nine years in the litigation department of the
Boston-based international law firm Ropes & Gray.

Judge Allen graduated summa cum laude from the University of Rochester earning bachelor's
degrees in American history and political science. He received his juris doctor from Columbia
Law School, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar during his final two years.

As a professor, Judge Allen taught courses in constitutional law, civil procedure, federal courts,
remedies, and veterans benefits law. He has been a prolific author, cowriting two books and more
than 25 articles and essays. Judge Allen also received numerous awards for his scholarship and
teaching including the Stetson University Award for Excellence in Scholarship, the Brown-Dickerson
Award for Excellence in Scholarship, the Stetson University Award for Excellence in
Teaching, and the Stetson University Award for Excellence in Professionalism and Career
Development. He also received the Stetson's Golden Apple Award for teaching and was twice
named the best all-around professor.

Judge Allen was also a frequent speaker at community and professional groups while in legal
education. Among his speaking engagements were featured roles at the judicial conferences of
the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims and the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal
Circuit. In addition, Judge Allen testified before the Veterans' Affairs Committees of both the
United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives.

Before taking the bench, Judge Allen was active in professional associations. He served on the
Board of Trustees of the Southeastern Association of Law Schools and was the Chair of the
American Association of Law Schools' sections on Remedies and New Law Teachers. He is also
active in his synagogue where, along with his wife, he received the Shofar Award for community
service.

Judge Allen is married to Debra Brown Allen and has two sons, Ben and Noah.

Judge Amanda L. Meredith

Judge Amanda L. Meredith was nominated by the President of the United States in
June 2017. She subsequently was confirmed by the United States Senate and
appointed a Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims in
August 2017.

For more than 12 years prior to her appointment, Judge Meredith worked for the
Republican staff of the United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Most
recently, she served from 2015 to 2017 as the Deputy Staff Director and General
Counsel for Chairman Johnny Isakson. She served as General Counsel from 2008
to 2015 and as Benefits Counsel from 2005 to 2008 under Ranking Member
Richard Burr and Chairman/Ranking Member Larry Craig. During this time, she
was responsible for legislative and oversight activities regarding a wide range of
veterans' issues and assisted Members of Congress in enacting numerous laws to
help improve the benefits and services for our nation's veterans.

Prior to joining the staff of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Judge Meredith
worked for the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims for more than
seven years. While at the Court, she served from 2004 to 2005 as the Director of
the Court's Task Force for Backlog Reduction, a team of experienced attorneys
dedicated to reducing the inventory of pending appeals. From 2000 to 2004, she
was the Executive Attorney to Chief Judge Kenneth Kramer, serving as the
principal legal advisor to the Chief Judge regarding all judicial functions;
supervising the chambers law clerks; and managing the chambers caseload. She
served from 1997 to 2000 as a judicial law clerk to Judge Kramer.

Judge Meredith graduated summa cum laude from the University at Buffalo with a
bachelor of science degree in accounting and graduated magna cum laude from the
University at Buffalo Law School, where she was a member of the Buffalo Law
Review.

Judge Joseph L. Toth

Judge Joseph L. Toth was nominated by the President of the United States in June 2017. He was
subsequently confirmed by the United States Senate and was appointed a Judge of the United
States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims in August 2017.

Judge Toth is a veteran of the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps of the United States Navy,
where he served as Senior Defense Counsel in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and provided legal
assistance to veterans, service members, and their families. In 2011, Judge Toth was deployed to
the Zhari district of Afghanistan where he served as a Field Officer for the Rule of Law Field Force
Afghanistan (ROLFF-A) and was stationed with the Army's 10th Mountain Division. He
received the Joint Service Commendation Medal for his service in Afghanistan.

After leaving active duty, Judge Toth served as Associate Federal Defender in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, with a focus on appellate litigation and motions practice. Judge Toth has served on or
appeared before several federal and military courts, including the United States Court of Appeals
for the Seventh Circuit and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Judge Toth clerked for Judge Daniel A. Manion of the United States Court of Appeals for the
Seventh Circuit and Judge Robert J. Conrad of the United States District Court for the Western
District of North Carolina. Additionally, he worked as an Associate Counsel at Drinker Biddle &
Reath, LLP in the commercial litigation group.

Judge Toth received his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Chicago and his juris
doctor from the Ave Maria School of Law, where he was the managing editor of the Ave Maria
Law Review.

Judge Joseph L. Falvey, Jr.

Judge Joseph L. Falvey, Jr., was nominated by President Donald J. Trump, confirmed by the Senate, and appointed a Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims in May 2018.

Before his judicial appointment, Judge Falvey was the District Counsel, Detroit District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. As District Counsel, Judge Falvey supervised the District legal staff and was responsible for resolving issues related to statutory and regulatory compliance, government contracting and fiscal law, labor and employment law, environmental law, claims, real property, standards of conduct/ethics, procurement fraud, and litigation.

Previously, Judge Falvey served as an Assistant United States Attorney, in the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. As a member of the National Security Unit, he was responsible for investigating and prosecuting matters involving national security including matters involving individuals and organizations that engage in foreign counter-intelligence, espionage, and those who plan, financially support, or carry out international and domestic terrorist activities. Before joining the United States Attorney's Office, Judge Falvey was a Professor of Law at Ave Maria School of Law from 1999 to 2007 and the University of Detroit School of Law from 1994 to 1998, where he taught evidence, trial advocacy, military law, national security law, and criminal law and procedure.

Judge Falvey is also a retired Marine Corps officer who began his military career as an Armor Officer in 1981 and served as a Tank Platoon Commander, Battalion Adjutant, and Anti-Tank (TOW) Company Executive Officer. From 1984 to 1987, he attended law school through the Marine Corps's Funded Legal Education Program. Certified as a Judge Advocate in 1987, Judge Falvey was initially assigned to Camp Pendleton, California, where he served as a prosecutor or defense counsel in more than 250 courts-martial. He also served as the Senior Judge Advocate for the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable). In 1990, Judge Falvey attended The Judge Advocate General's School of the Army, and he was subsequently assigned as the Deputy Head, Military Law Branch, Judge Advocate Division, Headquarters Marine Corps.

In 1994, Judge Falvey left active duty and continued to serve in the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve. From 1994 to 1998, Judge Falvey was a Special Courts-Martial Judge and presided over more than 100 courts-martial. In 1998, he was assigned as an Assistant Staff Judge Advocate for Operational Law at U.S. Central Command, and he was mobilized in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In this capacity, he worked closely with various agencies of the U.S. Government on matters related to the Global War on Terrorism and he deployed to Afghanistan in 2002. Judge Falvey subsequently served as an Appellate Judge for the U.S. Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals. From 2008 to 2010, Judge Falvey served as the Commanding Officer, Marine Forces Reserve, Legal Services Support Section. Judge Falvey retired in 2011 having attained the rank of Colonel.

His decorations include the Legion of Merit (with star), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, and Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal. Judge Falvey was selected as both the ABA Outstanding Young Military Lawyer (1990) and the Judge Advocate Association Outstanding Career Judge Advocate (2011).

Judge Falvey holds a bachelor of arts in economics from the University of Notre Dame, a juris doctor, cum laude, from Notre Dame Law School, and a master of laws, Distinguished Graduate, from The Judge Advocate General's School.

Judge Falvey and his wife, Anne, have nine children and they are licensed foster parents who have opened their home to more than a dozen abused and neglected children.

Senior Judges

Judge Frank Q. Nebeker

Judge Frank Q. Nebeker was nominated by President George H.W. Bush and appointed to the United States Court of Veterans Appeals in October 1989.

Judge Frank Nebeker has devoted his entire adult life to government service. A native of Utah, he holds an associate degree in history from Weber College, a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Utah, and a law degree from American University.

During his law school years, Judge Nebeker worked as a correspondence secretary in the White House. He began his legal career in 1956 as a trial attorney in the Internal Security Division of the Department of Justice. Two years later, he became an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, serving from 1962 to 1969 as the Chief of the Appellate Division. His reputation as an appellate counsel led to his appointment in 1969 as an Associate Judge on the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, where he served until his retirement in 1987.

Judge Nebeker's retirement was short. He responded to yet another call to public service as Director of the Office of Government Ethics, responsible for developing and monitoring the rules which govern the conduct of those in the Executive Branch. When Congress provided for judicial review of veterans benefits decisions and created the new seven-judge U.S. Court of Veterans Appeals (now the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims), the President appointed Judge Nebeker, with the consent of the Senate, to be its first Chief Judge. The Court began operating on October 16, 1989.

Judge Nebeker has been active for many years in the organization and presentation of education programs for attorneys and appellate judges throughout the country.

In November 2000, he retired from the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims and is now a senior judge serving in recall-eligible status. He also serves as a Senior Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.

Judge Kenneth B. Kramer

Judge Kenneth B. Kramer was nominated by President George H.W. Bush and appointed as a Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, Washington, D.C., in 1989.

Judge Kramer graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois (1963), Phi Beta Kappa, Honors and High Distinction, and Distinguished ROTC Military Graduate, and with a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts (1966).

Judge Kramer is a former Commissioner, National Commission on Uniform State Laws; former member of the Board of Visitors, United States Air Force Academy; and a founder and former Chair of the United States Space Foundation. He served from 1990 to 1994 as Chair of the Committee on Veterans' Benefits, Administrative Law Section, American Bar Association. Judge Kramer is currently serving as a director of the United States Association of Former Members of Congress, and as co-chair of the Association's annual charitable golf tournament held for the benefit of wounded warriors.

Judge Kramer's awards include the Army Commendation Medal and the Army Distinguished Civilian Service Medal.

Judge Kramer served as Chief Judge from October 6, 2000 until his retirement on September 14, 2004. He is now a senior judge serving in recall eligible status. He is married and has two children.

Judge Ronald M. Holdaway

Judge Ronald M. Holdaway was nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate as a Judge of the United States Court of Veterans Appeals in 1990.

Judge Holdaway was born in Afton, Wyoming. After graduating from Star Valley High School in Afton, he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in history in 1957 and his law degree from the University of Wyoming in 1959. Upon completion of the Reserve Officers Training Corps curriculum and the course of study at the University of Wyoming, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the infantry, later transferring to the Judge Advocate General's Corps. His military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic Course, the Basic and Advanced Courses at the Judge Advocate General's School, the United States Army Command and General Staff College, and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University.

Prior to his appointment to the bench and retirement from the Army, Judge Holdaway held a wide variety of important positions including Chief Judge, United States Army Court of Military Review, and Commander, United States Army Legal Services Agency, Washington, DC.

Judge Holdaway was also the Judge Advocate of United States Army Europe and Seventh Army in Heidelberg, Germany. Other key assignments included Executive to the Judge Advocate General, and Assistant Judge Advocate General for Civil Law. Earlier in his career he served in Vietnam as the Staff Judge Advocate of the lst Calvary Division. Returning to the United States, he served as Deputy and later as Chief of the Government Appellate Division of the U.S. Army Judiciary. In that capacity he was the Chief Government Appellate Counsel for the appellate phase of the Calley case. Remaining in Washington, he was the Chief of Personnel, Plans and Training Office with the Office of the Judge Advocate General. Following attendance at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Judge Holdaway served as Staff Judge Advocate of VII U.S. Corps in Stuttgart, Germany. He retired from the U.S. Army in 1989 as a Brigadier General.

Judge Ronald M. Holdaway retired from the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims in November 2002 and is now a senior judge serving in recall-eligible status. He is married and has two children and six grandchildren.

Judge William P. Greene, Jr.

Judge Greene was appointed by the President of the United States as a Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims on November 7, 1997. The United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims is a national court of record, established under Article I of the Constitution of the United States. The Court has exclusive jurisdiction to provide judicial review of final decisions by the Board of Veterans' Appeals, an entity within the Department of Veterans Affairs. There are seven active judges on the Court who have been appointed to serve 13 to 15-year appointments. Judge Greene was appointed for 15 years and assumed the responsibilities of the Chief Judge of the Court from August 8, 2005, until August 6, 2010. Judge Greene assumed Senior status as a Retired Recall eligible judge in November 2010.

At the time of his nomination and appointment to the Court, Judge Greene was serving as a United States Immigration Judge. From June 13, 1993, until November 22, 1997, he presided over immigration cases in Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Judge Greene was born in Bluefield, West Virginia. In 1965, he graduated from West Virginia State College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. In 1968, he received a Juris Doctor degree from Howard University School of Law. Following graduation from law school and admission to the West Virginia Bar, he was appointed a commissioned officer in the United States Army Judge Advocate General's Corps. During his career as a Judge Advocate, he completed his military education at the Basic, Advanced, and Military Judges' courses at The Judge Advocate General's School, Charlottesville, Virginia; the Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; and the U.S. Army War College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Before becoming an Immigration Judge, Judge Greene held many important positions in the United States Army. He served as the Chief Prosecutor at Fort Knox, Kentucky, followed by duty as the Chief Defense Counsel in the Army Command in Hawaii. He was the Army's chief recruiter for lawyers from 1974 to 1977 and in 1981, the Judge Advocate General of the Army selected him as the Department Chair of the Criminal Law Division at The Judge Advocate General's School. He also served in Germany as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate of the Third Infantry Division and in Korea as the Staff Judge Advocate of the Second Infantry Division. Following his graduation from the U.S. Army War College in 1986, he was selected to serve as the Staff Judge Advocate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. That assignment was followed by another selection as Staff Judge Advocate at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, with duties that also included legal oversight of the Armed Forces' maximum security prison. While serving in this last position, he was selected and appointed by the Attorney General of the United States as a United States Immigration Judge. He retired as a Colonel from the United States Army in 1993 to accept that appointment. During his Army service, he received several awards including three awards of the Legion of Merit. On October 7, 1997, the Secretary of the Army designated Judge Greene as Honorary Colonel of the Judge Advocate General's Corps Regiment. In October 2000, Judge Greene was recognized as a Distinguished Member of the Judge Advocate General's Corps Regiment. Additionally, in May 2008 Judge Greene was the recipient of the Chief Justice John Marshall Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Judge Advocates Association.

Judge Greene is married to the former Madeline Sinkford, also of Bluefield, West Virginia. They have two sons: William Robert, a major customer manager for Dun and Bradstreet, and Jeffery, an officer and physician in the United States Army Medical Corps.

Judge Bruce E. Kasold

Judge Kasold was appointed as a Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims by the President of the United States on December 13, 2003. Judge Kasold took the oath of office on December 31, 2003. He became Chief Judge on August 7, 2010 and served in that role until August 6, 2015.

Before his appointment to the bench, Judge Kasold served as Chief Counsel for the Secretary of the Senate and Senate Sergeant at Arms. In that non-partisan position, he advised Senate leaders on general legal matters and issues at the forefront of the of the nation's political landscape, including the electoral college, impeachment of the President, and historical management of an evenly divided Senate.

Judge Kasold also served as Chief Counsel for the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, where his work included marshaling the Senate's largest series of campaign finance hearings in a decade and conducting an investigation of allegations of state election fraud.

Prior to working in the Senate, Judge Kasold was a commercial and government contracts litigation attorney with the law firm Holland & Knight. Judge Kasold is also a retired United States Army Lieutenant Colonel, with service in the Air Defense Artillery and Judge Advocate General's Corps.

Judge Kasold earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Military Academy, and a Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Florida. He also holds an LL.M. from Georgetown University and an LL.M. equivalent from the Judge Advocate General's Graduate School. He is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the Florida Supreme Court, and the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. He is a member of the Florida Bar, the District of Columbia Bar, the Federal Bar Association, and the Order of the Coif. Judge Kasold is married to the former Patricia Ann Gatz.

Judge Lawrence B. Hagel

Judge Lawrence B. Hagel was appointed a Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans
Claims by President George W. Bush in December 2003. He became Chief Judge on August 7, 2015.
Judge Hagel assumed Senior status as a Retired Recall eligible judge on October 8, 2016.

Immediately before his appointment to the court, Judge Hagel served as the General Counsel of the
Paralyzed Veterans of America where he performed the normal duties of a corporate counsel.
Additionally, while at the Paralyzed Veterans he was responsible for developing the
organization's policy and procedures for litigating cases at the then newly created
U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. He has represented individual veterans
at all stages of the appellate process. He also filed amicus curiae briefs on
behalf of the Paralyzed Veterans of America, joined by other organizations of note,
in the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Brown v. Gardner, on behalf of the
Paralyzed Veterans of America, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, AMVETS,
the Blinded Veterans Association, and the Vietnam Veterans of America.
Judge Hagel also created the structure and was a founding member of the
Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program. He served on its Executive Board
from its creation in 1992 until his appointment to the Court.

Judge Hagel's military experience includes graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy
and service in the U.S. Marine Corps as an infantry platoon commander,
a headquarters company commander, and a field advisor to an infantry battalion
of the Army of the Republic of Viet Nam during an extended tour in Viet Nam.
He then attended law school at the University of the Pacific's McGeorge
School of Law and after graduation remained in the Marine Corps serving
as a Judge Advocate. He later received a masters of law (labor law)
with highest honors from the National Law Center of The George Washington University.
During his time as a Judge Advocate he represented individuals charged with
crimes under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and before administrative
and medical boards. He was also appointed Special Assistant U.S. Attorney.
Judge Hagel appeared on behalf of the Department of the Navy in U.S.
district courts throughout the country, the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the Fourth Circuit and Ninth Circuit, the Federal Labor Relations Authority,
the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, and in labor arbitration.
Judge Hagel was awarded the Combat Action Ribbon, the Meritorious Service Medal (three awards),
the Joint Service Commendation Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal.

Among other professional activities, Judge Hagel has served as a member of the
Administrative Conference of the United States (1995); Steering Committee,
District of Columbia Bar Administrative Law and Agency Practice Section (1999-2003);
U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims Rules Advisory Committee (1992-2003);
and Federal Bar Association, Veterans Law Committee Section, of which he was the Chair,
1994-1995. He is currently an emeritus member of the George Mason Inn of Court.

Judge Hagel is admitted to practice before the highest courts of Iowa, California,
and the District of Columbia. He is also admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the Federal, Fourth, Ninth, and Tenth Circuits; the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims;
and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.

Judge Hagel was born in Washington, Indiana.

Judge William A. Moorman

Judge William A. Moorman was confirmed by the Senate and appointed a Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims by the President of the United States on November 20, 2004, continuing a career of public service begun in September 1971. Judge Moorman assumed Senior status as a Retired Recall eligible judge on August, 31, 2015.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Judge Moorman attended the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Economics in 1967. He earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Illinois College of Law in 1970 and was designated a Distinguished Graduate in 2000. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force through the Reserve Officers Training Corps in June 1970.

On active duty, Judge Moorman rose to the grade of Major General, last serving as the Judge Advocate General of the United States Air Force, the Air Force's highest ranking uniformed lawyer. In that position he directed an active and Reserve force of more than 2,500 uniformed and civilian attorneys. He was serving in that position at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, when terrorists attacked the United States. During his career, he was the first Staff Judge Advocate of the new joint-service U.S. Strategic Command and was the Staff Judge Advocate of the air component for Operation Just Cause in Panama and the Bosnian operations in Europe. He was the only Judge Advocate ever to serve as the senior officer aboard Looking Glass, the nation's airborne nuclear forces command post. Judge Moorman's military decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, the Joint Meritorious Service Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters. He retired from the Air Force in April 2002, after 31 years of service.

In July 2002, Judge Moorman joined the Department of Veterans Affairs and was named Assistant to the Secretary for Regulation Policy and Management. In this position he was a senior advisor to the Secretary with principal responsibility for regulatory reform, leading the Department's effort to overhaul its compensation and pension regulations.

In 2004, he was appointed by the President as Acting Assistant Secretary for Management for the Department of Veterans Affairs. In that position, he was responsible for managing VA's $70 billion budget and all financial, budgetary, acquisition, real property, and logistics operations. He served as the Chief Financial Officer, Chief Environmental Officer, and Chief Acquisition Officer for VA during this period. He resigned that position in order to accept his appointment as an Appellate Judge on this Court.

Judge Alan G. Lance, Sr.

Judge Alan G. Lance, Sr. was nominated as a Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims by President George W. Bush, confirmed by the Senate, and commissioned in December 2004. He served as Chief Judge for a period in 2016, and on April 30, 2017, Judge Lance retired from active service and assumed senior status as a recall-eligible retired judge.

Prior to his confirmation to the Court Judge Lance was in private practice in Idaho. Judge Lance served as Idaho's 31st Attorney General from 1995 to 2003. While serving as Attorney General, Judge Lance also served on the executive committee of the National Association of Attorneys General and as chairman of the Conference of Western Attorneys General. Prior to his election as Attorney General, Judge Lance served two terms in the Idaho House of Representatives and was elected Majority Caucus Chairman during his second term.

Judge Lance was born in McComb, Ohio and grew up on the family farm. He earned his bachelor's degree from South Dakota State University in 1971 where he was a Distinguished Military Student and Graduate. He is a 1973 graduate of the University of Toledo College of Law, where he was a member of the Law Review and named Distinguished Alumnus in 2002.

He began his professional legal career as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Fulton County, Ohio. Judge Lance served in the United States Army, Judge Advocate General Corps from 1974 until 1978 and received the Army Commendation Medal. After completing his military service, Judge Lance established a private law practice in Meridian, Idaho.

In 1998, Judge Lance received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of State Veterans Homes for his service to veterans. Judge Lance served as National Commander of The American Legion during 1999-2000. He received the Humanitarian Award from the American Legion Auxiliary in 2000 for his work with veterans, active duty military personnel, and their families. The Idaho Council on Domestic Violence and Victim Assistance honored Judge Lance's efforts as Attorney General to combat domestic violence and protect the rights of crime victims with the 2002 Public Policy Leadership Award. In that year, he was also presented with the Profiles in Courage Award awarded by the Conference of Western Attorneys General for his leadership in a closely-watched death-penalty case. Judge Lance was inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame in November 2004.

Retired Judges

Judge John J. Farley, III

In September 1989, Jack Farley was nominated by President George H. W. Bush and confirmed by the United States Senate as a Judge of the United States Court of Veterans Appeals for a term of fifteen years. After serving the Court in recall status for seven additional years, he retired in 2012. Prior to his appointment, Judge Farley was a member of the Senior Executive Service and a Director of the Torts Branch, Civil Division, United States Department of Justice, with responsibility for, inter alia, the defense of the United States in the massive asbestos litigation and the representation and defense of personally-sued federal employees in common law and constitutional tort litigation.

Judge Farley received his A.B. degree in economics in 1964 from the College of the Holy Cross, where he was captain of the freshman and varsity lacrosse teams, and his M.B.A. degree in 1966 from the Columbia University Graduate School of Business where he was a Samuel Bronfman Fellow and president of Alpha Kappa Psi, the professional business fraternity. He received his Juris Doctorate, cum laude, in 1973 from Hofstra University School of Law, graduating first in his class and serving as the founding Editor-in-Chief of the Hofstra Law Review.

Judge Farley served in the U. S. Army from 1966 until his retirement as a captain in 1970 due to 100% disability from wounds received during combat in Vietnam. His decorations include four Bronze Star Awards (three with "V" Device), two Purple Hearts, and the Army Commendation Medal. From 1973 to 1978, he was a trial attorney in the Torts Section, Civil Division, U. S. Department of Justice; from 1978 to 1980 he served as Assistant Director of the Torts Branch.

The author of numerous articles, Judge Farley has been a lecturer and faculty member at the ABA Appellate Judges Seminars; Attorney General's Advocacy Institute; F.B.I. Academy; OPM Executive Seminar Centers; Federal Executive Institute; and Federal Judicial Center. He was a commencement speaker and recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Medal, Hofstra University School of Law in 1986. From 1986 to 1989, Judge Farley served on the Board of Directors of the Senior Executives Association. In November 1990, he became the first chairman of the Veterans Law Section of the Federal Bar Association. In 1995, he received the Dean's Award for Distinguished Hofstra Law School Alumni. In 1999, he was inducted into the Massapequa High School Hall of Fame. In 2006, he received the In Hoc Signo Award from the College of the Holy Cross. The Paralyzed Veterans of America presented Judge Farley with the Harry A. Schweikert, Jr. Disability Awareness Award at its Annual Convention in August 2007.

Judge Farley taught administrative law and federal litigation as an adjunct professor at the Columbus School of Law of the Catholic University of America. He was a member of the board of directors of the Amputee Coalition of America (ACA) and the U.S. Armed Forces Amputee Patient Care Program. An ACA-certified amputee peer visitor and trainer, Judge Farley continues to train and certify amputee peer visitors at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and Brooke Army Medical Center, and he was on the faculty of the Military Amputees Advanced Skills Training Programs at Walter Reed (2004 & 2007) and Brooke (2006).

He has co-founded and is vice-president of n2grate Government Technology Solutions, LLC ("n2grate"). n2grate focuses on hardware, software, training, data center and cloud services, and professional development for public sector and large business clients.He has co-founded and is vice-president of n2grate Government Technology Solutions, LLC ("n2grate"). n2grate focuses on hardware, software, training, data center and cloud services, and professional development for public sector and large business clients.

His wife of 42 years, Kathleen Wells Farley, died suddenly in July 2011; they have four children and thirteen grandchildren. An avid golfer, skier, and instructor of disabled skiers, Judge Farley completed the 2005 New York City Marathon, the 2013 Palm Beaches Marathon, and the 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, and 2013 Marine Corps Marathons on a hand cycle with wounded warriors from Iraq and Afghanistan. He resides in Bowie, Maryland.

Judge Donald L. Ivers

Judge Donald L. Ivers was nominated by President George H. W. Bush and appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims on August 6, 1990.

Judge Ivers was one of seven judges serving on the new Federal Court established pursuant to Article I of the Constitution of the United States with responsibility for judicial review of legal issues arising from grant or denial of benefits by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, including questions of constitutional law, statutory and regulatory interpretation and adequacy of administrative review.

From 1985 to 1990, Judge Ivers served as General Counsel of the Veterans Administration and, as Acting General Counsel of the Department of Veterans Affairs upon its creation in March of 1990. He directed a nationwide legal staff of some 650, including 320 attorneys. His office was responsible for providing legal advice and services to the Administrator and Secretary, and to the nationwide VA staff of some 240,000.

From 1984 to 1985, Judge Ivers was Counselor to the Secretary of Transportation and Chairman of the Secretary's Safety Review Task Force. During that same period and from 1981 to 1984 he served as Chief Counsel of the Federal Highway Administration.

Prior to his appointment with the Department of Transportation in May 1981, Judge Ivers served as Chief Counsel for the Republican National Committee and was active in the 1980 Presidential Campaign and in the Reagan Administration transition, in charge of the transition team for the Federal Maritime Commission.

From 1972 to 1978, Judge Ivers was an attorney with the firm Brault, Graham, Scott, and Brault in Washington, D.C., specializing in civil litigation. Born May 6, 1941, in San Diego, California, Judge Ivers attended New Mexico Military Institute and the University of New Mexico. He earned his law degree from American University, Washington, D.C. and pursued graduate legal studies at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.

Judge Ivers served on active duty in the United States Army from 1963 to 1968, with assignments in the United States, Germany, and Vietnam. He retired from the U.S. Army Reserve with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. His decorations include the Bronze Star, Air Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal and the Joint Services Achievement Medal.

Judge Donald L. Ivers served as Chief Judge and retired in August 2005 from the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. He is now a senior judge serving in recall-eligible status. He is married and has three children.

Former Judges

Judge Hart T. Mankin

Judge Hart T. Mankin was nominated by the President of the United States to the position of Associate Judge of the United States Court of Veterans Appeals and was confirmed by the United States Senate in August 1990.

Judge Mankin attended Northwestern University and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from The University of the South (Sewanee) as well as a certificate of completion of Education for Ministry from its School of Theology. He earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the University of Houston.

Judge Mankin served in the United States Air Force, both on active duty and in the Reserve. He was honorably discharged.

Judge Mankin was Vice President and General Counsel of the Columbia Gas System from 1973 to 1989. His prior Federal service included service as General Counselor of the U.S. General Services Administration from 1969 to 1971 and as General Counsel of the U.S. Department of the Navy from 1971 to 1973. He was also a member of the Administrative Conference of the United States.

Judge Mankin served on numerous educational, philanthropic, governmental boards of directions and was Chairman of the Council on Volunteer Services for the State of Delaware.

Judge Mankin lectured and wrote in the areas of law, politics, theology, and ethics. He has been listed in Who's Who in America, Who's Who in the World, Who's Who in American Law, and The Philosopher's Index.

Judge Mankin lived with his wife in Lewes, Delaware and Washington, D.C. and was the father of three adult children and grandfather of five.

The Honorable Hart T. Mankin died on May 28, 1996, after a long fight with pancreatic cancer.

Judge Jonathan R. Steinberg

Judge Jonathan R. Steinberg was nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate as a Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims in August 1990.

Judge Steinberg received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University in 1960 and his Bachelor of Laws degree cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law in 1963. At the law school, he served as Research and Note Editor of the Law Review and was a member of the Order of the Coif. He clerked at the Law Firm of Steinberg, Richman, Greenstein and Price in Philadelphia and served as a Research Assistant at the American Law Institute, prior to serving as a Law Clerk for then Circuit Judge Warren E. Burger on the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in 1963-64. He commenced a tour at the Peace Corps as an Attorney Advisor from 1964 to 1968, and then served as the Peace Corps Deputy General Counsel from 1968 to 1969.

From 1969 until his appointment to the Court, Judge Steinberg served on the United States Senate staff under U.S. Senator Alan Cranston (Calif.) as Counsel to the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare (Subcommittee on Veterans' Affairs, Subcommittee on Railroad Retirement, and Special Subcommittee on Human Resources) 1969-77; as Chief Counsel and Staff Director, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 1977-81 and 1987-90; and as Minority Chief Counsel and Staff Director, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 1981-87.

Judge Steinberg served as Chief Judge and retired in August 2005 from the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. He died on December 21, 2015. He is survived by his wife, Shellie, two children, and five grandchildren.